'Clusters Likely Linked To Tuen Mun Eatery Emerging'

Health authorities said on Tuesday they believe a Covid cluster at a Tuen Mun eatery has ended, but warned of new outbreaks which could be linked to it.

One additional infection linked to the Victoria Harbour restaurant was reported, bringing the tally to almost 50 cases.

In response to media enquiries, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said it had instituted prosecutions against the eatery's owner for failing to comply with requirements under the vaccine pass scheme, and making changes to the restaurant's ventilation system without permission.

The restaurant was also told to suspend dine-in services after 6pm for two weeks from last Friday, and at other times only two people at most can sit at one table.

Albert Au from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said officials suspect there could be other outbreaks linked to the Tuen Mun cluster, including one at the Jade Garden restaurant in Mong Kok.

"Two customers [suspected with] BA.2.12.1, who're related to the Tuen Mun restaurant, had patronised the restaurant in Mong Kok. So far, we have identified four cases. We will follow up [on] the remaining customers who had patronised this restaurant on June 19 to see if there are further cases," Au said.

"We have informed the FEHD to carry out inspection on the ventilation and also this restaurant to see if there are any irregularities."

In total, there were 1,533 new local coronavirus cases and 152 imported infections, while one more Covid patient has died.

Separately, a chief manager of the Hospital Authority, Lau Ka-hin, said sending infected elderly care home residents and their close contacts to quarantine facilities remains necessary.

His comment came after a geriatric specialist voiced support for the idea of quarantining elderly care home residents who are close contacts of Covid patients on site, rather than sending them to AsiaWorld-Expo.

"If the patients were admitted to the quarantine centre, [or] the holding centre for isolation, there's a medical post there. We can provide medical services, including the prescription of oral antivirals to the patients as soon as possible, in order to prevent the further deterioration, as well as the death of the patients," Lau said.

"These measures are good to the patients themselves, as well as to the residents who are still inside the old age homes."